Remembering
by Faggy
Summary: Aaron's recalls events that brought him to where he is now.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N – **__Thanks to Soapiefan for checking this over and making some useful suggestions._

_**Disclaimer – **__ITV own Emmerdale & characters, I'm just playing with them _

**Remembering**

**Part One - Running**

Aaron ran through the streets of Hotten.

Away from Jackson. Away from what had happened.

He didn't know where he was exactly but he kept on running.

The loud blast of a car horn brought him sharply to his senses. He'd run out into a road without looking. Luckily the driver was more alert than Aaron. He swerved and just missed hitting the breathless young man.

Aaron stepped back from the road. Where was he? It looked familiar but he couldn't see anything he immediately recognised.

Looking around, he spotted a bus stop on the other side of the road. That should show him where he was. Crossing over, he approached the stop. He immediately saw that this was one of the stops on the route that the Emmerdale bus followed. That must be why it looked familiar. He'd probably looked out of the bus windows at this street dozens of times. Maybe he'd known where he was running to after all.

Using his phone to check the time, he saw it was nearly midnight. Looking at the timetable he saw that he'd just missed one. The next bus – the last of the night – was due at 12.50. Just over an hour to wait. The service was pretty irregular during the day; at this time of night it was even worse.

He looked up and down the street but there was no sign of any passing cabs. He hadn't really expected to see any and he couldn't really afford it anyway but if one had been passing he'd have flagged it down.

With no other options he sat down to wait, pulling his jacket a bit tighter around himself.

As he tried to get comfortable on the bus shelter seat he checked the timetable again. Maybe he'd read it wrong before. He was pretty sure he hadn't but he had nothing else to do and it would pass another 30 seconds.

As he ran his finger down the list of times, he noticed the reddened skin and bruising on his knuckles. Quickly he dropped his hand back down out of his sight and put it back in his pocket. He didn't want to think about how he'd got those bruises.

He had a sudden vivid image in his mind of his raised fist and the look of fear in Jackson's eyes.

Aaron shook his head. He wouldn't think about that. He didn't want to think about anything that had happened tonight – Leyla, the argument, any of it.

He just wanted to forget it all, at least for now.

But the thoughts kept sneaking into his head. Thoughts of Jackson.

He wondered if Jackson was thinking of him. Probably not. Why would he after tonight? Probably glad to see the back of him. He'd not even tried to come after him as Aaron had run out of the flat, he'd just slammed the door. Aaron had heard it as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

He'd not tried to call or text either. Aaron would have seen a text or missed call when he'd checked his phone for the time 5 minutes ago. But there had been nothing.

Maybe he'd call Jackson in the morning. Apologise. Promise it would never happen again. No, what was the point. No way would Jackson want him in his life now. Despite everything, all his promises, he'd shown that he was still willing to use his fists. How could Jackson ever trust him again? Rhona was right – he didn't deserve a boyfriend.

Aaron's head dropped towards his chest. Seemed as if he'd really blown it this time.

xxxxx

Jackson's phone rang out 6 times before going to voicemail.

It was the third missed call in the past 15 minutes. Leyla was persistent whenever she was worried. And she was worried about Jackson. She'd been worried ever since Jackson and Aaron had left Bar West. Their argument had been different to the usual sniping they did with each other. They were only holding back because they were with friends. She had a feeling that it was going to get a lot worse when they were on their own.

Each time she called and didn't get a reply, the gnawing feeling in her stomach got worse. David told her she was worrying about nothing but she was going to keep ringing until she spoke to Jackson.

xxxxx

Jackson's flat was quiet once the phone stopped ringing.

Most Friday nights there would have been noise and people – Jackson's flatmate nearly always had mates round. But he was away for a few days so the flat was unusually peaceful.

Jackson had been excited at the prospect of Aaron and him having the place to themselves for a change. At least he had at the start of the evening…

Lights were on in the main room and the cluttered hallway.

There was no-one in the main room. Nothing to indicate the increasingly loud and angry argument that had taken place there half an hour previously.

But in the hallway, next to the pile of trainers and box of tools, lay Jackson. Completely still. The only movement at all was a trickle of blood running from his temple and down his bruised cheek.

TBC

_**As usual, reviews are most welcome**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer – **Emmerdale and the folks who live there aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a bit

**Remembering**

**Part 2 - Regretting**

Aaron pushed his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. Sitting at the bus stop, he was starting to feel the cold. He stood up and started walking back and forth as he waited for the bus to arrive. Checking his phone, he was surprised that it was still only 11.55. He could have sworn he'd been there longer than 10 minutes.

He started to rub his hands together in a further effort to keep warm but a sudden flare of pain from his damaged right knuckles caused him to stop.

He stopped walking and looked at his hand. He'd avoided looking at it properly until now. The bruising was really starting to develop across his knuckles. A feeling of shame flooded him. Clenching his hand into a ball, he thought of all the damage he had caused with this fist. Not just tonight but all that had gone before. Jackson, Paddy, Daz, Sandra. All had been on the receiving end of his violence.

He was lucky that Paddy and Jackson had both given him a second chance. Unfortunately he didn't think Jackson would give him a third.

Why did he keep doing it? He didn't enjoy hurting people. He'd lash out without thinking and then regret it later. Well, regret it sometimes. Daz had it coming and as for Sandra, well, she'd pushed him into a corner where he couldn't see any way out. At least that's what he told himself whenever he thought back to that day.

_He'd been heading back to his Dad's after school. He didn't think of it as home. It hadn't been his home since she'd arrived. Even less so since the baby. He knew he should probably feel something for his younger brother but there was nothing. Maybe he wasn't capable of feeling love. _

_Instead of heading straight back, he'd hung around the playing fields to watch Kyle playing football. He never really been that bothered about football, Formula One was more his sort of sport, but it gave him an opportunity to watch Kyle so he'd learned to fake an interest._

_Seeing Kyle was the only thing he looked forward to. Any chance he got, he took it. Football matches were the best time. He could look without having to pretend he wasn't. Although sometimes he had to remember he should be watching the ball instead of staring at the star player. Not that Kyle even knew who he was. Not really. As far as Kyle was concerned he was just that kid from down the street who was always in trouble. Occasionally he'd acknowledge Aaron with a nod or a smile if they passed in the street but those moments were like gold to Aaron._

_Those moments had combined with memories of Kyle's athleticism on the football pitch to fuel his late night fantasies. He'd tried thinking of girls but as his hand slid inside his boxers his thoughts had always returned to Kyle. And each time he cleaned himself up afterwards he'd promise himself it was the last time, he wouldn't think of Kyle or any man in that way again but deep down he knew it was a lie. Thoughts of Cheryl quickly turned to Ashley, Angelina to Brad, before inevitably returning to Kyle._

_That afternoon, Kyle had been brilliant. Aaron smiled to himself as he let himself into the house, remembering Kyle scoring a particularly impressive goal._

"_What time do you call this?" Sandra's barked words brought him back to reality. "And what are you grinning for? What have you done now?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_You must've done something. The only time you smile is when you're causing trouble."_

_He'd scowled at her and started to move towards the stairs, heading for the sanctuary of his room. _

"_Where do you think you're going? I had your tea ready an hour ago. It's ruined now. You can't just turn up when you feel like it. I haven't got time to do anything else and we can't afford to waste food." _

_Her stream of criticism had started to wind him up. It was the same thing every day. "You don't have to do nothing for me. I'll get my own tea."_

"_No you won't. I'm not having you messing up my kitchen and using everything up." She'd stood in front of him, arms crossed, as if challenging him to defy her._

"_Fine, I'll do without then." He'd stepped to one side, trying to pass her but Sandra had had other ideas._

"_Not so fast. I've had enough of your attitude. Sulking around the place with a face like thunder. This stops now. You're going to start showing this family some respect. I'm not having you setting a bad example to my son."_

"_Family? I'm not part of any family. You don't even want me here."_

"_You've got that right", Sandra snapped back at him._

_Aaron had been shocked by this admission. He'd known Sandra didn't like him but this was the first time she'd said so._

"_But," Sandra continued, taking a step towards him, "your dad does so I'm stuck with you. For now anyway."_

_Sandra's mouth had twitched into a small smile before she continued, "I've been keeping an eye on you Aaron. Thought I might catch you out, doing something you shouldn't. Something that would show your dad exactly what a useless, good for nothing waste of space you are. All I had to do was wait. It was only a matter of time."_

_Aaron had felt his temper was already rising and he couldn't stop himself from asking the question._

"_What do you mean?"_

_Sandra's smile widened, "You think you've got everyone fooled don't you. But not me. I couldn't believe it at first but once you know what you're looking for its obvious."_

_Aaron had felt a tension building in his stomach. What was she getting at? She couldn't know about…_

"_Kyle", said Sandra. "You're queer for Kyle."_

_At that moment, for Aaron, the world had stopped._

_But Sandra continued. "I've seen how you look at him whenever he's around, eyes practically out on stalks. Is it just him or blokes in general? No, don't bother answering, I don't care."_

_Aaron couldn't have answered even if he'd wanted to. His mouth was dry and he felt sick._

_By now Sandra was really getting going. "To be honest, I'm not bothered what you get up to. But your Dad. That's a different story. No way he'd want a poof for a son. He thinks it's disgusting. Who knows what he'll do if he found out?"_

"_It's not true." It wasn't much of a denial but it was all Aaron could manage._

"_Don't try to deny it. It's written all over your face."_

"_It's a lie. You're sick if you think that."_

"_Well why don't I mention it to your dad, see what he thinks. He's already been wondering why you've never had a girlfriend. Maybe this'll explain it." Sandra's smile had widened even further by now but her eyes were hard._

"_Don't tell him. Please." Aaron had started to panic. He'd had to stop her telling his dad. Even the suggestion would be enough. He'd believe her no matter how much Aaron denied it._

"_Well, maybe I will and maybe I won't. That depends on you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_I've had enough of your attitude, thinking you can do whatever you like, treating me like dirt. From now on you're gonna start showing me some respect. No answering back, no coming home whenever you feel like it, no lazing around in your room while I work like a dog keeping this place nice. You're gonna start pulling your weight around here. You're gonna help with shopping and cleaning and anything else I want 'cause if you don't I may have to tell your dad that his little mongrel brat is a queer!"_

_By then she was shouting and standing so close he had felt her spit on his face. And that's when he'd hit her._

Aaron slumped back down on the seat at the bus stop. It had been so long since he'd thought about that day. Everything afterwards had been a blur. The moment he'd hit her he knew it was all over. He knew he shouldn't have done it and there was really no excuse but he'd felt so trapped and scared that all he could think of was that he had to shut her up.

He'd run out of the house, not returning for hours. When he did, his father had already packed up some of his clothes and told him to get out.

It had taken a long time for Aaron to figure out why Sandra hadn't told his dad the reason he'd hit her. He reckoned it was partly to cover her own back for trying to blackmail him but also so she could have some ammunition to use against him in case Gordon had given him another chance.

He wondered what his life would have been like if he hadn't hit Sandra. He wouldn't have been thrown out so he doubted he'd have come back to Emmerdale. So, no Paddy, no Adam, and no Jackson.

That one punch had set him on the road to Jackson and as much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to totally regret that. Although, after all that had happened, Jackson probably did.

Aaron looked at his phone. Just gone midnight.

xxxxx

"Leyla, it's past 12. Leave it. He's not gonna answer." David was trying to persuade Leyla to stop calling Jackson and come to bed but he wasn't having much luck so far.

"No, it's not like him to ignore calls. I know I've not known him long but I know that much." Working opposite each other had meant they saw each other every day even before Jackson had done the building work on the shop. They had clicked almost immediately and she had come to think of him as a good friend already.

"Maybe him and Aaron are busy." David raised his eyebrows as he said the last word to show exactly what he meant by 'busy'.

"The way Aaron was going at him tonight, I doubt it."

"They could've made up by now. You know what they're like. Always rowing then making up."

Leyla shook her head. She wasn't convinced. Although she would have struggled to put it into words exactly why she felt this way, she knew that tonight had been different. Something was wrong, she just felt it.

David sighed as Leyla picked up her phone again.

xxxxx

Lying on the floor of the hallway, Jackson hadn't moved in half an hour.

But as his phone rang once again, his eyelids flickered slightly.

Slowly he opened his eyes but quickly shut them again as the light caused a flare of pain through his skull. He reached up to his head and felt a sticky wetness on his forehead. Blood?

Why was he on the floor? He couldn't remember. Why would Aaron leave him there?

Aaron! Fragments flashed back into his memory. They'd been arguing. Shouting. Aaron pushing past him. Grabbing Aaron's arm. Aaron's face snarling as he'd raised his fist…

Then nothing. After that there was nothing but emptiness.

He tried to push himself off the floor but even that brief exertion was too much for him and he slumped back down, drifting back into unconsciousness as his phone started ringing again.

Xxxxxxx

A/N – Apologies if you were expecting a quick resolution to the cliffhanger. Hope you're not too disappointed.

Part 3 will be up when I'm back from holiday

REVIEWS GRATEFULLY RECEIVED


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer – **Emmerdale and the folks who live there aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a bit

**A/N** – Warning – this chapter contains some violence.

**Remembering**

**Part 3 - Punching**

Just gone midnight.

The wind was picking up now and Aaron was starting to realise just how flimsy his jacket was. Fine for the quick walk from Bar West back to Jackson's; not so good for an hour sitting at a chilly bus-stop. He'd only worn it because Jackson had once told him that he looked good in it. Well he guessed he wouldn't need to consider that in future.

Funny how all his thoughts returned to Jackson. The fact was that Jackson had impacted on him in so many ways that life without him seemed unimaginable.

At least he still had Paddy. Most people would have kicked him out by now and given up on him. Even his own parents had. Chas was trying to make up for it now but Aaron knew that if ever he truly needed someone he'd always go to Paddy.

Aaron took his phone out of his pocket yet again. Should he call Paddy now?

No. Paddy would want to know why he wasn't at Jackson's and would give Aaron a piece of his mind when he was told. Aaron didn't want to face that just yet. With any luck, Paddy would be asleep when he got home and he wouldn't have to face him until later on Saturday. Aaron wasn't looking forward to that conversation. He'd given Paddy so much to worry about over the previous few months and now he was going to add something else to the list.

He still couldn't quite believe that Paddy put up with him after all he'd done – making a fool of him in front of the village, wrecking Tom King's grave, doing everything he can to shove everyone away. But Paddy still cares, still loves him. Even after the beating.

Aaron's face burned red as the deep feeling of disgust floods through him. Of all the things he's done that's the one he feels most ashamed about. He's not even told Jackson how bad it was; how much damage he did. There's no way Jackson would have been with him if he'd known. How could he be? Anyone would be frightened off by that.

Aaron shivers. Partly from the cold but mostly from the memories.

_All he'd wanted was for Paddy to leave it alone. But he'd kept pushing and pushing. And, like with Sandra and so many other people, he'd snapped. But so much worse that time. Worse than anything he'd ever done before._

_No matter what he'd done in the past, he'd always managed to keep some amount of control; something that stopped him going too far. But not that night. That night the floodgates had opened and he hadn't been able to stop himself._

_He'd hit Paddy again and again. Punching and yelling while Paddy had screamed and begged him to stop. Drops of Paddy's blood had sprayed up into his face, leaving a metallic taste on his tongue as some had entered his mouth. But he'd carried on. Relentless._

_His vision had become blurred. He hadn't seen Paddy anymore. The object below him had stopped being the man he knew. It had been a focus for all his rage and disgust that had been contained for so long – it was his mam and his dad, it was Sandra, it was Carl, it was Adam and Victoria and Holly, it was everyone and anyone who had ever hurt or rejected him, it was Kyle and Jackson for making him want them, it was being gay, it was himself._

_He couldn't remember how long he'd carried on hitting Paddy for but as quickly as it had started, it had stopped. _

_He'd looked down and seen Paddy's bloody and swollen face. Sickened at what he'd done, he'd staggered outside. Sat on the grass in he dark, he'd cried. He still wasn't sure if it had been for Paddy or himself. _

_When he'd gone back inside he hadn't known if he'd find Paddy alive or dead. The relief he'd felt when Paddy moved had sapped the last remaining fight out of him. So he'd knelt in front of the man he'd attacked and told him everything. And Paddy had forgiven him._

Aaron felt tears starting to form. He stood up and quickly rubbed the heel of his hands into his eyes. No way was he going to cry at a bus stop.

Thinking back to that night, the only thing he knew for certain was that, despite everything, he'd left Smithy feeling loved for the first time in his life.

For the first time that night, Aaron smiled. No matter what happened, Paddy still loved him.

xxxxx

David reached across and took the phone out of Leyla's hand.

"Enough. It's getting late now. He's probably asleep."

Leyla opened her mouth to protest but David cut her off.

"Or they've made up and don't want to be disturbed, or they've not and Jackson's drowning his sorrows, or they're still rowing and either your calls are just making it worse or they can't hear them 'cause they're shouting so much"

Leyla sighed, "I know you're probably right but I can't help worrying can I. He's a mate."

David smiled at her. "It's great that you're looking out for a friend but he can take care of himself. He's a capable lad. He can handle Aaron and his moods."

"Yeah, I get that but…", Leyla paused, unsure how to put her fears into words.

David raised his eyebrows at her, questioningly, "But?"

"But Aaron was different tonight. The things he said. It wasn't the same. It was like he was really angry about something."

"Like what?" Aaron had seemed pretty much as usual to David.

"I don't know. But we all know what he's like when he loses his rag."

They looked at each other, silently recalling the incident in the pub when Aaron had punched Jackson.

David handed the phone back to Leyla. "One more try, then we call it a night."

xxxxx

Jackson pushed himself up from the floor. He wasn't sure how long he'd closed his eyes for.

He didn't even try to stand; getting on to all fours had almost drained him of what little energy he had.

Slowly, part crawling part dragging himself, he made his way along the hallway to the bathroom. The effort it took caused him to break into a sweat.

To Jackson it seemed to take forever but he finally reached the bathroom. He rested his forehead against the welcoming coolness of the tiles on the wall. As he pushed himself away from the wall into a more upright position he saw the smear of blood he'd left behind. The sight of it caused his stomach to churn alarmingly. Lurching forward, he just managed to reach the toilet before he vomited.

Clutching the rim of the toilet bowl to stop from slipping down to the floor, Jackson closed his eyes and wondered what the hell had happened to him tonight.

xxxxxxxxxx

**A/N** – Apologies for the delay. Back from holiday now so should get the next chapter up a bit quicker.

As always, reviews are most welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer – **Emmerdale and the folks who live there aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a bit

**Remembering**

**Part 4 - Alone**

Aaron smiled. Just thinking of Paddy and the relationship they now shared always helped him feel calm and safe.

The sound of a shout from down the street brought him back to the reality of where he was. He looked up but it was just a couple of lads crossing the road, laughing with each other. As they walked away and turned the corner Aaron was once again alone.

He sighed. The sight of the two lads, happy on their night out was a painful reminder of how bad his night had been. And it was all his own fault. Over-reacting as usual, letting his temper get the better of him. No wonder Jackson hadn't called since he'd run out of the flat.

He was dreading telling everyone they were finished. They'd all be sympathetic he supposed. Well maybe not Cain. Or Scarlett for that matter. But he knew that deep down they wouldn't be surprised. Most of them would have been counting the days til he messed up and Jackson saw sense. Well he'd certainly messed up tonight.

Aaron knew that with most of his friends and family he'd be able to put on his "face", as Jackson had called it. If any of them tried to get him to talk about it, he'd just grunt and scowl til they backed off. But Jackson had friends in the village now – Leyla, Charity, Declan, even Pearl. They'd hear it all from him. And Aaron was sure that some of them would have something to say to him about how he'd treated Jackson.

But it was Paddy he was least looking forward to telling. Aaron knew that Paddy would stick by him no matter what. But he also knew that he'd want to know what had happened and he'd have something to say about it. More than anything, it was the look of disappointment on Paddy's face that he didn't want to see.

He knew how much Paddy worried about him. It had been bad enough in those first few weeks after he'd come out to him but it had got worse after he'd tried to kill himself. Paddy had started to check on where and how he was. Asking when he'd be home. Turning up at Smithy or the garage whenever he was on his own. He was pretty sure that he'd asked the village busybodies to keep an eye on him as well. Not that they needed an excuse to do that – he'd caused enough trouble in his time in Emmerdale to guarantee he was near he top of their most wanted list anyway.

Paddy had only started to relax and believe he wouldn't do it again once Aaron had started seeing Jackson. But if they were over then Aaron knew that Paddy would start to fret again. No matter how often Aaron said it wouldn't happen, he knew that part of Paddy would still have doubts. He'd probably have worried even more if he'd known that the garage wasn't the first time Aaron had thought about ending it.

_He'd just been kicked out by his Dad. He'd slept in a neighbour's shed that first night then started walking. Not sure where he was going. He just kept moving. _

_While he was walking he'd started thinking about where he should go. Most people would have friends or family they could go to in times like this. That's when he'd realised how alone he was. He didn't really have friends. If his general moodiness didn't put people off then his temper usually would. He'd hung around with a gang of lads at school but they weren't friends. They tolerated him because he was handy in a fight or when they needed to intimidate a younger kid for his lunch money._

_Part of him had wanted to reach out and make friends. Have people he could spend time and have a laugh with. But he'd known that if he let anyone get close they might find out his secret, realise how sick he was. He'd figured it would be better to be on his own than run the risk of anyone ever knowing that._

_Sometimes a girl would try to get to know him. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to give them what they really wanted so he'd made sure they soon lost interest by slagging them off to anyone who would listen. One girl had tried harder than most. A pretty blonde called Rhonda. No matter how many times he gave her the brush off, she tried again._

_Eventually even she had given up on him. She'd followed him home one afternoon, asked if he fancied going to the pictures one night. He'd shouted abuse at her - how ugly and stupid she was, how she was an idiot to think he could ever be interested in a sad case like her. She'd run off in tears. That had done the trick. She'd never spoken to him again._

_As for family, well there were lots of them but most were strangers to him. Whenever he'd spent time with them on his visits to his mum, he'd felt like none of them really knew what to do with him. Like he was nothing but trouble for them. _

_After all the things he'd done, they were probably right. He'd done everything he could to push them all away. And it had worked. Somehow he didn't think they'd exactly welcome him with open arms._

_As he'd been thinking this he'd reached a bridge. He'd stopped halfway across and looked down at the waters below. No-one knew or cared where we was; he had no-one in the world who thought of him or wondered what he was doing or if he was even alive. As that thought had entered his head he'd grabbed hold of one of the support posts and pulled himself up onto the wooden side of the bridge. If he jumped now with the weight of his rucksack on his back, he'd probably sink. Maybe they'd never find him. Would anyone miss him? Would anyone care? _

Aaron leaned back against the bus shelter. He didn't know how long he'd stayed standing on the side of the bridge looking down. At the time it had seemed like hours but it had probably only been a few minutes. At some point he'd realised that he couldn't bring himself to do it and had climbed back down onto the bridge feeling foolish and glad that no-one had seen him. He'd decided then to give his mam one last chance and had headed to Emmerdale.

It had taken time but now he did have people who cared. Paddy, Adam, even Chas. He hadn't made it easy for them but despite everything they seemed to think he was worth caring for. When he'd tried to kill himself, they were the ones who had fought to save him. Even Jackson, when he'd heard, had reached out to him. That was when he'd started to hope that Jackson could forgive him for what he'd done.

Aaron pulled his phone out of his pocket. He wasn't going to let it end like this. Not after all they'd been through. He scrolled through the contacts in his phone until he reached Jackson's number, then pressed dial.

xxxxx

As Leyla was about to press dial, she hesitated.

Despite her conviction that something wasn't right, all of David's arguments for not calling ran through her head.

"What are you waiting for?" David looked at her, puzzled.

"I don't know. Something you said."

"Since when have you ever listened to what I've said?"

Leyla smiled. That was true. Once her mind was made up she never listened to any argument to the contrary.

"I know but one thing you said made me think."

"Really? What?"

"If they're still rowing, maybe my calling isn't helping. I don't think it was just Jackson that Aaron was off with tonight. He didn't seem too happy with me either."

"No way. What could you have done to upset him? Look, just call Jackson. If they are rowing, one more call isn't going to make a difference. But then we go to bed."

"Ok."

Leyla smiled at him, then pressed the button to call Jackson.

xxxxx

Jackson pushed himself across the bathroom floor to the sink. Slowly, using the edge of the bath as a support, he raised himself up from the floor.

His legs felt wobbly beneath him but somehow he managed to balance on the bath rim and lean against the sink. He reached across to the cold tap and turned it on. The sink quickly filled with water. He dipped is arm into the water, soaking the sleeve of his shirt. Using the sleeve as a flannel he started to wipe the blood from his face. He knew he should really look in the mirror to do this properly but he couldn't. He hated the sight of blood.

The coldness of his sodden sleeve soothed the pain in his head but the sight of the water in the sink turning pink made him feel nauseous again. Biting down on his lip, he turned his head away from the sight.

Continuing to clean his face, he winced as the material of his sleeve came into contact with his temple. Slowly he explored the area with his fingers. It felt sore and swollen.

Knowing he couldn't do anything to help himself unless he could see what he was doing, he slowly turned his face to look in the mirror above the sink.

Jackson gasped at the sight. The left side of his face from his cheekbone to his hairline was purple with bruising and there was an angry looking cut across his temple.

He quickly turned away from the sight but the sudden movement made him feel dizzy and he had to grab the sink and the bath to stop from falling.

Taking deep breaths, he waited for the dizziness to pass. As he sat there, the memory of Aaron's angry face pushed itself forward in his mind. Could Aaron have done this to him?

As that thought came to him, he heard his phone start to ring.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N** – I know I keep apologizing for the gaps between updates but I will try harder to get them done more quickly.

As always, reviews are most welcome.


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